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I do not think 1080p for broadcast will happen. The cost to upgrade the infrastructure would be high. Broadcast would require a new standard for 1080p and with 4k or 8k on the horizon they would not want to have to upgrade twice. There is not that big of a difference in 1080i and 1080p.

1080p was added to the ATSC spec a while ago, but as far as I know, none of the receivers implement it, nor do any of the broadcasters transmit it.

As far as difference, not much as far as apparent resolution, but for fast moving sports, I can imagine there would be a LOT less pixellation.

How about stations start to broadcast in 1080P before we even begin to talk about 4K, most non-ppv stations air in 1080i or 720p

Heh - I always wondered why they started doing HD channels at 1080i and 720p when they were compressing the crap out of SD.

While I'm happy that the "real" HD lineup has grown to what it is, SD could have been DVD quality and anamorphic 16:9. Most things would have been a heck of a lot more watchable, even on larger TVs.

As for 4K, I'm not really sure. Unless you truly have a theater-size room in your home, I think we're getting into the land of diminishing returns, not unlike the audio CD. Sure, there's SACD and DVD-Audio but people went for the convenience of lesser-quality MP3s instead.

Heh - I always wondered why they started doing HD channels at 1080i and 720p when they were compressing the crap out of SD.

While I'm happy that the "real" HD lineup has grown to what it is, SD could have been DVD quality and anamorphic 16:9. Most things would have been a heck of a lot more watchable, even on larger TVs.

As for 4K, I'm not really sure. Unless you truly have a theater-size room in your home, I think we're getting into the land of diminishing returns, not unlike the audio CD. Sure, there's SACD and DVD-Audio but people went for the convenience of lesser-quality MP3s instead.

I agree. I bought in to SACD and DVD-A. They were great formats that didn't deserve to die. I have about 30 of those disks and each one is remarkable.

El Segundo, Calif. — Consumer demand for new 4K ultra-high-definition TV displays will remain quite small for at least the next five years, according to a new study released by market research firm IHS iSuppli.

The IHS iSuppli “Television Market Tracker Report” said shipments of high-profile 4K displays from Sony, LG, Toshiba and others will remain less than 1 percent of the global LCD TV market for at least the next half decade, before worldwide shipments climb to 2.1 million units in 2017, (or 0.8 percent of the global LCD TV supply). That will be up from just 4,000 units that are expected to sell this year, the study predicts.

LCD TVs are called “4K” or ultra-high-definition when they have a dense pixel structure of 3,840 by 2,160 dots, or four times the pixel count of today’s FullHD 1,920 by 1,080p TVs.

Hisense and Konka of China have also announced plans for 84-inch 4K sets later this year.

However, IHS said it believes that neither consumers nor television brands will have the interest required to make the 4K LCD TV market successful.

“If you have a television that is 60 inches or larger and are watching video that has a 3,840 by 2,160 resolution, then a 4K television makes sense,” said Tom Morrod, IHS TV systems and technology research director. “However, a very limited amount of content is available at the 4K resolution. Meanwhile, because of high prices and other issues, the market for super-sized, 60-inch and larger sets is very small — at only about 1.5 percent of total television shipments in 2012. Furthermore, for most people, the 1,080p resolution is good enough. Because of these factors, combined with the massive price tags, the market for 4K sets during the next few years will be limited to very wealthy consumers or to commercial uses.”

He added that 4K LCD sets may serve the high-end of the TV market as transitional technologies until AMOLED TVs arrive in the mass market.

“The 4K sets can fill the gap at the high-end of television brands’ product lines until the arrival of the next-generation AMOLED TVs,” Morrod said.

“Japanese brands are offering 4K product because they need to have a competitive alternative to the AMOLED TVs being sold by their rivals in South Korea, Samsung and LG Electronics. Meanwhile, the South Korean companies are having difficulties producing AMOLED panels, saying they will need two more years to achieve competitive volume and pricing. Therefore, the Korean brands are offering 4K sets as a transitional step until their AMOLED televisions are more widely available.”

From what I have read the difference between 4K and 1080p can only be seen on screens larger than 55" with the viewer being seated close to the TV. That in itself will place limits on the demand for 4K. Not to mention the steep prices for 4K TVs, our poor economy, high unemployment rate and limited 4K source material. 4K is a improvement but I don't anticipate it making as big a splash as HD did.

As a point of reference (and I realize these are not Directv numbers) in the Voom v Dish lawsuit info came out this week that Dish had 30,000 HD subs when the Voom Channels appeared on Dish (somewhere in early 2005 range - I don't feel like tracking down the exact date) and when Voom was dropped in 2008 Dish had 1.3 Million HD Subs.

IIRC, Dish had about 14 Million subs in 2008, so less than 10% even then were HD subs.

The percentages fall in line with what other MSOs had stated and Directv's number would probably only vary +/- 1%.

I am also starting to wonder, if 3D is going to be a fad that will disappear, in a couple of years. People don't seem to be going out of their way, to buy into this format, when they purchase new T.V.'s. I think eventually, we'll have a projection system, that will be 3D, without the glasses, using holographic imaging.

I am also starting to wonder, if 3D is going to be a fad that will disappear, in a couple of years. People don't seem to be going out of their way, to buy into this format, when they purchase new T.V.'s. I think eventually, we'll have a projection system, that will be 3D, without the glasses, using holographic imaging.

Granted my Strabismus limits my interest in 3D, but it would seem that to be successful, 3D would need to be an immersive experience. In most movie theatres, you are sitting within one screen width of the screen. WIth TV, optimal/typical viewing positioni is 2 times screen size. It just does not seem you will get the depth effect desired with a typical TV set up. Seems that would limit the desirability.

FWIW- Thanks Direct TV, on Thursday night, the high school football game between Canton McKinley & Glen Oak was carried in HD on Fox Sports Nets across America, BUT NOT FOX SPORTS OHIO, WHO BROADCASTED THE GAME.
Good Grief, when do we get FSNOhio HD full time?

It's already a standard feature on most displays, not just those that are considered high-end.

Yeah... I previously expected the CE companies to have it be a standard feature on most all TVs, but with the economy and all, I'm questioning whether or not that will continue to be the case, or if we'll see some model lines lose that capability.

I hope that's not the case, but that's why I phrased things like I did...

I am also starting to wonder, if 3D is going to be a fad that will disappear, in a couple of years. People don't seem to be going out of their way, to buy into this format, when they purchase new T.V.'s. I think eventually, we'll have a projection system, that will be 3D, without the glasses, using holographic imaging.

Until it is glassless and doesn't make ones eyes tear from watching more then a couples of hours, it doesn't have a change in hell of being accepted by the masses.